He who learns the legal sciences is a faqi
He who learns the mystical sciences is a sufi
"Be both a faqi and a sufi. Do not be only one of them" - Imam ash-Shafi'i رحمه الله
Commentary: Be a religious jurist and a spiritual mystic. He who unites these two wings shall fly.
There are a growing number of people who describe themselves as “spiritual but not religious”. At the other end of the spectrum, we find that most religious people today no longer have contact with the spiritual dimension of their faith resulting in a form of religion without spirituality.
"Spirituality without religion leads to heresy.
Religion without spirituality leads to dogmatism.
Both extremes are prevalent in our time." - Anonymous
Notes
* The New Age Movement describe themselves as "spiritual but not religious". They claim that you can embark upon the spiritual path without subscribing to any religion and its laws. What they forget is that religious law sanctifies the whole of external life and provides an outward equilibrium which enables the soul to journey inward. The inner spiritual path begins with an outward conformity to a sacred law. According to the Sufi adage,
"No tariqah (inner path) without shariah (external law)"
* It has been said that Judaism is based on the fear of God and Christianity on the love of God. This is because Moses عليه السلام bought the Law which emphasises God to be a Legislator who issues commands from above and expects to be obeyed. Christ عليه السلام, on the other hand, reminds us that Divinity resides within the heart and this relationship is based on love. He famously said, "The Kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21). We should clarify that each religious tradition contains both perspectives but tends to emphasises one over the other. Moses emphasises the shariah (external law) while Jesus emphasises the tariqah (inner spiritual way).
* Jesus عليه السلام condemned religious legalism within Judaism, particularly the Pharisees [a Jewish sect] who strictly complied to Mosaic Law but their hearts were full of pride and self-righteousness. This criticism, however, does not imply that Jesus sought to abolish the Law. Throughout his life, he observed the legal commandments given to Moses and clarified his position by stating:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them... whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 5:17-19
The critical mistake of Christianity - or Pauline Christianity - is that it abolished Jewish Law and felt it was no longer applicable as Christianity spread to the Gentiles (non-Jews).
"Since Christianity had no divine legislation of its own, it had to absorb Roman (secular) law"
- Seyyed Hossein Nasr 1
The fact that Christianity did not have a sacred law meant it was going to be weakened faster than other religious traditions. Jewish Law involved rules like praying three times a day, dietary restrictions, observing the Sabbath, circumcision etc. Abandoning this Law was inconceivable to the first Christians, namely Jewish Christians like the Ebionites. Their understanding of Jesus is - interestingly - very similar to Islamic teachings; they saw him as a Prophet and the Messiah but not son of God or universal saviour. Rev. Professor Jeffrey J. Butz - a Lutheran ordained minister - makes this point in his book;
[Source: James the Brother of Jesus, p.186]
"If Jewish Christianity had prevailed over Pauline Christianity , history would likely have been written quite differently... If the Jewish Christian understanding of Jesus had prevailed , Jews and Christians might never have parted ways , and Islam would never have been Christianity's perceived enemy."
[Source: James the Brother of Jesus, p.187]
References
1. Ideals and Realities of Islam, p.97
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